Andre Little, a 32 year-old African American man sued the city of Richmond, California, charging excessive force when Richmond Police officer Kristopher Tong tazed him repeatedly in the groin on the platform of the Richmond Amtrak-BART station. KPFA spoke to Little's attorney, DeWitt Lacy of the John Burris Law Firm, as he prepared to take the case to federal court.

Tim Redmond, Executive Editor of the website 48 Hills, the Secrets of San Francisco says that 17th District California State Assembly candidates David Campos and David Chiu are quite different candidates, especially on hard core economic issues. However, the race between them is now so close that it's all about who most effectively gets their voters to the mail with their absentee ballots or to the polls between now and November 4th, election day.

Mike Parker, the mayoral candidate of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, has withdrawn from the race and thrown his support to Richmond City Councilor Tom Butt. He plans to redirect his energies to electing the RPA's three candidates for the Richmond City Council.

Richmond, California Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, left, and Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles, rightOn Tuesday, the Richmond City Council voted to issue a permit to Chevron for its complex oil refinery expansion project. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Vice Mayor Beckles abstained on the final vote because the community benefits program Chevron promised did not include funds to keep Doctor's Hospital open. The hospital, which is close to closing, treated 12,000 of the 15,000 Richmond residents who sought hospital care as a consequence of the August 2012 Chevron refinery explosion and fire. Jovanka Beckles spoke to KPFA.